46 Sport Aviation May 2015 PHOTOGRAPHY BY TYSON RININGER POETRY AND POWER

TWO STORIED AIR SHOW PLANES, ONE COMMON CONNECTION

BY BETH E. STANTON

www.eaa.org 47 hat do a from-the-ground-up aircraft improvements and custom builds, so restoration of a celebrated air he founded Dell Aero Speed specialty air- show duo’s airplane and a craft service. jet-powered Waco built from scratch have in common? THE FRENCH CONNECTION CAP 10B Pilot, aircraft technician, and For a plane to fly well, it must be beautiful. builder Dell Coller. Since —Marcel Dassault grade school, Dell’s goal has The Mudry CAP 10 is one of the most been to build airplanes. “I successful two-seat training aerobatic air- would get ahold of the Sport Aviation magazine and immediately flip craft in the world. Avions Mudry, located in to the pages showing members’ newly completed aircraft.” His Bernay, France, began manufacturing the Wgrandfather was a World War II Spitfire pilot and his father a pilot airplane in 1970, and it’s been flown by two and air traffic controller. When Dell was 16, he bought a Cessna 150 generations of aerobatic champions. Daniel with some friends and learned to fly. He joined the Air National Héligoin and Montaine Mallet met while Guard, was crew chief on a C-130 Hercules, and went on to become a working for Avions Mudry. Daniel, a former successful business jet pilot. While working full time, he built and French air force fighter pilot and French restored several aircraft. He discovered that his passion lay in build- national aerobatic champion, and Montaine, ing and flying aerobatic airplanes. He built a One Design aerobatic an aeronautical engineer, were friends at airplane and found himself doing more of this type of work. Dell first but eventually became partners in decided to forge a new career and focus his energy and skills on career and marriage. In 1973, they came to

48 Sport Aviation May 2016 PHOTOGRAPHY BY TYSON RININGER the United States to promote and sell the multiple airplanes over the span of their have the opportunity to restore one of the CAP 10. They operated aerobatic flight career. They sometimes kept airplanes on actual French Connection airplanes made the schools in New York and Florida, instructing both U.S. coasts to minimize cross-country project even more special.—Dell Coller and demonstrating in the CAP 10. Daniel ferrying during the air show season. Olivier The CAP 10 came to Dell’s shop in Boise, flew air shows while Montaine taught aero- saw an airplane in the book with the French Idaho, in November of 2014 to undergo a com- batics and flew in IAC competitions. Daniel’s Connection lettering and tail number plete restoration. Since the airplane had been passion was formation . He N780S, the same as Tom and Kelly’s air- sitting for a number of years, it was unknown trained Montaine as lead pilot, and in 1973 plane. When Tom discovered the history of what it was going to look like once it was the duo flew their first of countless air the airplane he decided to investigate fur- opened up. It turned out that everything was shows spanning almost 30 years. ther. He learned Gene Soucy also previously in pretty good shape. The scope of the work The acclaimed husband and wife team owned the airplane. The couple had a slick included complete inspection, fabric, paint, became known as the French Connection. paint job picked out, but they scratched that new wiring, and updated instrument panel. Their signature air show routine was flown plan and decided that it absolutely had to Dell said, “There wasn’t a part of the airplane in astonishingly tight formation, canopy to stay in the French Connection configuration. that we didn’t touch. We anticipated the canopy. As their aerial ballet evolved, they Dell explained that people get confused engine would be fine since it was not high added musical choreography, poetry narra- sometimes. “They say, ‘Both those airplanes time. In the course of inspecting it we found tion, wingtip smoke, and specialty were lost; this can’t be one of the actual some internal corrosion, so we decided to maneuvers like the Double Heart, Formation ones,’ but it is in fact one of the several CAP inspect and replace as necessary. We removed Snap Roll, and the Mirror Image. The couple 10 airplanes they flew for a period of time,” the engine and sent it to a shop. It wasn’t a full performed all over the world and received he said. “You can see in a number of videos, overhaul, but they replaced a number of parts the Bill Barber Award for Showmanship, the N780S, serial No. 87, flying in the air shows.” on the engine due to corrosion.” Rolly Cole Memorial Award, and the Art Some minor repairs were made to the Scholl Showmanship Award. BRINGING IT BACK wood structure. The canopy and windscreen I have always had an admiration for French did not need to be replaced, but Dell said, YES, IT’S ONE OF THEIR AIRPLANES aviation, their aircraft designs in particular. “We spent a lot of time sanding and buffing to The world knew Daniel Héligoin and This style is quite evident in the CAP 10. To get 30 years of scratches out!” The original Montaine Mallet as the French Connection. When they died, the world lost two of its more interesting characters and most outstanding pilots.—Budd Davisson The aviation community was devastated when Daniel and Montaine perished in a training accident in May 2000. described their contributions to aviation. “They touched so many people through the years with their warmth and their willingness to share the world of flight. They were professionals and entertainers of the highest degree, who had marked their 25th year of performing at EAA AirVenture in 1999. They were extremely proud of that fact, and we are proud to have been associ- ated with them for these many years.” Tom Joyce and his girlfriend, Kelly Root, are based at KILG, New Castle Airport in Delaware, where they are building a . Since they had never flown a tail- wheel or aerobatic airplane, they decided to find a airplane to prepare them for flying a Pitts. They looked at several different options and came across a 1978 CAP 10B and purchased it. Olivier Langeard, a hangar neighbor originally from France, recognized Tom and Kelly’s airplane in the book Flight Fantastic: The Illustrated History of Upper left: Hartzell spinner and R-985 of the Jet Waco. Upper right: CAP 10B spinner and hand-lettered serial number. Aerobatics. The French Connection used Bottom: CAP 10B wingtip light.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRAIG VANDER KOLK AND DENNIS BIELA www.eaa.org 49 50 Sport Aviation May 2016 PHOTOGRAPHY BY TYSON RININGER JET WACO

DIMENSIONS Length 26 feet 6 inches Wingspan 30 feet 3 inches Wing area 227 feet

WEIGHTS AND LOADING Gross weight (normal flight) 4,000 pounds Gross weight (aerobatic flight) 4,000 pounds Empty weight 2,959 pounds Useful load (normal flight) 1,041 pounds Useful load (aerobatic flight) 1,041 pounds Wing loading 17.62 pounds

PERFORMANCE Maximum speed 250 mph Rate of climb 10,000 fpm (approx. 100 mph vertical trajectory) Stall speed (clean) 75 mph

ENGINE R-985 Fuel consumption aerobatic flight 40 gph CJ610 Fuel consumption aerobatic flight 280 gph

www.eaa.org 51 initial build of the Taperwing components. From these, Eddie created a 3-D model of the airplane, and the real engineering task began. “John and I had many discussions on the expectations of the final product: appearance, performance, handling, structural require- ments, and systems. John wanted the flavor of the Waco Taperwing but with modern pizazz.” During the three-view development, a preliminary weight and balance study was needed. The basic aerodynamic data of the Jet Waco needed to be defined: things like aerodynamic centers of the wing cell, hori- zontal tail, and vertical tail, jet thrust vector. “A lot of balls thrown up in the air at one time, and all those balls had to land in the right places,” Eddie said. When it was determined that the project could be successful, John made the purchase and the serious analysis and design work began. Eddie and Dell worked closely together on the project. Eddie’s role was the structural design, while Dell led the systems aspect of the project. In 2013, the aircraft began to come together in Buffalo, Minnesota. The 3-D model was used to fixed-pitch propeller and fuel tanks were different air shows, and everybody who sees refine locations of mass items such as 100LL solid. The CAP 10 was outfitted with all new the airplane says, ‘Oh yes, I remember them!’ tanks, Jet A tanks, smoke tanks, oil tanks, avionics including ADS-B compliance, GPS People like are so grateful to batteries, plumbing, instrumentation, elec- navigation, and Electronics International have a reminder of the team out there. I’m so tronics, pilot, the jet engine, and tail pipe CGR-30 engine monitor. glad we were able to restore it.” combination so that weight and balance Dell’s favorite part of the restoration was requirements were met. The placement of the day the hand lettering went on the air- THE SCREAMIN’ SASQUATCH, JACK LINK’S JET WACO the CJ610 turbine jet engine was configured plane. “After the French Connection were no Attaching a Learjet engine to the bottom of a so that it could be removed without longer flying this airplane, their logos were 1930s biplane is something you normally only adversely affecting weight and balance. Fuel removed. Some of the sponsor stickers were do with Legos when you are a 10-year-old kid. and smoke oil burn-off also had to be taken retained, but ‘French Connection Airshow’ I got to do the real thing!—Dell Coller in consideration as most of the fuel and all of was removed,” he said. “Tom and Kelly When John Klatt, president of John Klatt the smoke oil would be consumed in a single wanted it to look exactly the way it had orig- Airshows Inc., needed someone to lead his flight with a significant reduction of weight. inally, and we had a number of pictures from Jet Waco project, that someone was Dell The shift in CG had to be minimal so that the its air show days.” Dell found a talented Coller. When Dell first realized he was going handling of the aircraft during the flight did hand-lettering artist who was able to beauti- to be involved in this project, he could hardly not change appreciably. fully reproduce the lettering, placards, and believe his ears. Jimmy Franklin first intro- The original aircraft gross weight for the French Connection script on the airplane. duced the Jet Waco to the air show circuit in Waco CTO Taperwing was 2,600 pounds, and The airplane was flying in June 2015, one 1999. Dell remembers watching Jimmy fly his with all the added components the final gross month before AirVenture. Dell took it for machine at the Sussex Airshow. “It was one of weight of the Jet Waco was approximately some local test flights to get everything dialed the coolest things I had ever seen,” he said. 4,000 pounds. Since this was a significant in before flying cross-country to Oshkosh. John and Eddie Sauerman of Sauerman increase in weight, the 3-D model was again The restored CAP 10 was on proud display at Aircraft Works traveled to Texas to check out used to create a finite element model (FEM) AirVenture 2015. Dell is pleased with the the Jet Waco Taperwing project. The fuse- of the primary structural elements. The fuse- results. “We are excited to have brought this lage, truss, landing gear, 450-hp Pratt engine, lage truss required substantial modifications aircraft back to its original condition with the engine mount, tail feathers, wings, ailerons, to carry the new loads. Numerous tubes and exact paint scheme and markings as when it and control system of the classic 1929 fittings were cut out and replaced with larger was flying air shows.” Tom and Kelly enjoy Taperwing Waco were mostly intact. Bill ones as defined by the finite element analysis people’s reaction to their French Connection Scheunemann, a previous owner, provided results. Because of the need to relocate the CAP 10. Tom said, “We’ve had the airplane at Eddie with 2-D CAD drawings from the pilot’s location due to weight and balance

52 Sport Aviation May 2016 PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRAIG VANDER KOLK CAP 10B

DIMENSIONS requirements, the cockpit was moved aft using pressurized air regulated down to just a Length 23 feet 5 inches approximately 36 inches. The vertical and few psi to push the fuel to the jet.” Wingspan 26 feet 5 inches horizontal tails are a completely new design. Wing area 116.8 square feet They were sized to provide positive control FIRST FLIGHT throughout a wide airspeed spectrum. The When there was nothing left to check, I WEIGHTS AND LOADING cockpit is thoroughly modern, incorporating strapped into the Jet Waco. John signaled to Gross weight (normal flight) 1,829 pounds an MGL Avionics iEFIS Challenger touch- go ahead, as a knight would gesture to a fair Gross weight (aerobatic flight) 1,675 pounds screen system, integrating the engine maiden. I dropped the hammer on the 450 Empty weight 1,200 pounds monitoring of both powerplants and the air- Pratt.—Eddie Sauerman, test pilot of the first Useful load (normal flight) 629 pounds craft’s avionics systems. Jet Waco flight Useful load (aerobatic flight) 475 pounds One of the challenges of the project was The team assembled in Coolidge, Arizona, Wing loading 15.6 pounds finding an appropriate way to provide positive for the test flights. Dell felt a combination of per square foot fuel to the jet engine. Dell said, “At the time, I excitement and nerves. “With every first PERFORMANCE was unable to locate an electric fuel pump flight, there comes a moment of truth. It goes Maximum speed 170 mph that would meet our requirements. It had to from just a collection of parts into an airplane. Cruise speed 156 mph have a small physical footprint, reasonable But it’s not an airplane until it flies.” The first Range (with reserve) 600 miles amperage draw, jet fuel compatible, and capa- test flights were made without the jet engine Rate of climb 1,200 fpm ble of flowing 300 gallons per hour. Initially I attached. Eddie kept the airplane high and Stall speed (clean) 58 mph pulled from my knowledge of two very differ- close to the airport for several circuits around Stall speed (full flaps) 50 mph ent aircraft systems. The Falcon 50 corporate the pattern. A few minutes into the flight, jet uses pressurized air to put head pressure in there was a pronounced vibration, loud noise, ENGINE the fuel tanks. Fuel will feed to the engine jolt, then the vibration disappeared. Eddie 180-hp fuel-injected Lycoming IO-320-B2F without an electric fuel pump running. The knew from past experience that something Fuel consumption at 75 percent cruise 9 gph Yak-55 stores high-pressure air and uses this had fallen off the airplane. John confirmed Fuel consumption aerobatic flight 14 gph to operate pneumatic systems. I ended up from the ground that the cowling had come

Updated CAP 10B cockpit.

www.eaa.org 53 off. Eddie immediately throttled back to land. next attached the CJ610 jet engine, and Len a vertical line, come to a complete stop, do a Typically, when a cowling comes off a radial began exploring the entire flight envelope. By 360-degree torque roll, then add the rest of the engine, the propeller is damaged. As he spring, they had a wild new air show machine power and accelerate to 80 mph going straight slowed the airplane down to approach speed, raring to go for the 2014 season. up from zero. It’s very hard to describe how it became apparent that the horizontal tail cool that is.” and elevator were having issues with airflow. A BEAST OF AN AIRPLANE This one-of-a-kind airplane requires Maintaining flare was impossible, and the U.S. National Unlimited aerobatic champion extreme focus and care to put on a safe and airplane hopscotched down the runway for Jeff Boerboon was selected to pilot the Jet entertaining show. There is nothing easy about the first landing. To everyone’s surprise and Waco. Jeff had been flying formation in the Air the airplane, and it requires a team effort to glee, the cowling had completely missed the Guard Program for John Klatt Airshows for make it work. Jeff explained why this team is a propeller when it came off. Dell and Eddie the past few years. “I was in the right place at “Win-win-win-win. What better sponsor than made some on-the-spot modifications that the right time,” Jeff said. “To say I’m a lucky Jack Link’s beef jerky? It’s a ‘beefed up’ biplane, improved handling for the second flight, but guy doesn’t even scratch the surface. It’s a life- it’s Screamin’ Sasquatch, and it’s feed your wild they still had a problem. long dream come true.” The team gets a big side. John Klatt Airshows is a leader in the Test pilot Len Fox made the third and kick out of watching the expressions on the industry. I add my bit as national champion aer- subsequent test flights. Tuft tests, vortex gen- faces of the crowd when the air show routine obatic pilot, and then Dell of course created and erators, and deflectors were experimented starts. People don’t expect a screaming jet maintains this thing. It’s really fun to be a part of with in an attempt to tame the airflow issue. engine and 4,000 pounds of thrust on a big this.” John Klatt said, “Dell literally lived with Ultimately, they discovered that the too-small biplane. The sight and sound of the airplane this airplane for over a year and oversaw its original windscreen and the too-high tur- creates a momentary disconnect. “We call it every last detail. The Jet Waco’s tremendous tledeck were the culprits of the airflow cartoon aerobatics,” Jeff said with a laugh. “It’s success is in no small part the result of his pas- problem. Air hitting the top of the turtledeck like Wile E. Coyote; it doesn’t make sense. sion, determination, and skill.” created turbulent air over the tail. A larger Here is a biplane going straight up, and it windscreen was installed that brought the air sounds like a jet. Eyes and ears and the thought Beth E. Stanton is a competition aerobatic pilot up and over the turtledeck for smooth airflow processes don’t match up.” Jeff described his and president of Northern California Chapter 38 of the over the tail. This fix cleaned everything up favorite maneuver, “The greatest thing we can International Aerobatic Club. She can be reached at and allowed the airplane to fly properly. They do with this airplane is pull up to 1,200 feet on [email protected].

54 Sport Aviation May 2016 PHOTOGRAPHY BY DENNIS BIELA